Lahore: A remarkable display by Ibrahim Zadran and Azmatullah Omarzai secured an eight-run victory for Afghanistan, keeping their hopes alive and concluding England's Champions Trophy journey in the Group B match held at the scenic Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.
Afghanistan supporters experienced a wave of nostalgia as they witnessed their team successfully defend against England, reminiscent of their performance during the ODI World Cup 2023 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
The match was a thrilling encounter, showcasing the best of ODI cricket. The momentum shifted dramatically, creating a tense atmosphere that kept fans on the edge of their seats until the final moments.
Chasing a challenging target of 326 runs, Afghanistan's standout all-rounder and ICC 2024 ODI Cricketer of the Year, Azmatullah Omarzai, made an early impact by dismissing England opener Philip Salt. His delivery slipped through Salt's defenses, striking the stumps and sending the opener back to the pavilion with a score of 12 runs off 13 balls.
Veteran all-rounder Mohammad Nabi quickly followed suit, claiming the wicket of young Jamie Smith with his very first delivery, leaving England at 30 for 2 in the seventh over.
Joe Root and Ben Duckett then set about rebuilding the innings, forming a 68-run partnership for the third wicket. Just as England seemed to regain control, Rashid Khan intervened, breaking the vital partnership by trapping Duckett (38) in front of the stumps. Nabi compounded England's difficulties by inducing Harry Brook to return a catch back to him in the 22nd over.
England captain Jos Buttler joined Root in the middle, working together to navigate through a challenging phase. The pair steadily built their innings, determined to mount a significant chase in this critical match.
Root achieved his second consecutive half-century in the tournament. Conversely, Buttler, who seemed a bit out of sorts at first, shifted gears to maintain the scoring momentum.
Afghanistan appeared to be in a difficult position, but their standout player, Azmatullah, reignited their hopes. He ended the 83-run partnership by enticing the English captain into a mistake. Buttler fell victim to Azmatullah's short ball strategy, edging it to Rahmat.
Afghanistan continued to mount a comeback, with Gulbadin Naib dismissing Liam Livingstone (10) and sending him back to the pavilion. Naib's delivery forced an edge that was easily caught by wicketkeeper Gurbaz.
Jamie Overton entered the fray and struck a couple of boundaries, alleviating some pressure on England. However, the momentum shifted in favor of Afghanistan when Joe Root found himself cramped for space and gloved the ball to Gurbaz. With the experienced player departing for 120 runs off 111 balls, the responsibility shifted to the lower order to complete the chase.
Jofra Archer stepped up, showcasing his power-hitting ability with two boundaries. As the required run rate approached a run-a-ball, Azmatullah's slower delivery proved effective for Afghanistan.
Overton (32 runs from 28 balls) attempted to clear the boundary but only succeeded in finding Nabi, adding another twist to the narrative.
As the game approached its climax, tension escalated dramatically. Archer opted for an aggressive approach in the penultimate over, but his shot was caught by Nabi off Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Azmatullah played a pivotal role in ensuring that England could not secure the 13 runs needed in the final over. With a boundary essential for their hopes, Adil Rashid attempted a big hit but was caught by Ibrahim Zadran, effectively concluding England's journey in the group stage. Azmatullah emerged as the standout performer for Afghanistan, achieving remarkable bowling figures of 5/58 in 9.5 overs.
Earlier in the match, Afghanistan's opener Ibrahim Zadran made history with an extraordinary innings of 177 runs off 146 balls, setting a new record for the highest individual score in ICC Champions Trophy history, surpassing Ben Duckett's previous record of 165 for England. This record-breaking performance enabled Afghanistan to post an impressive total of 325/7 in their allotted 50 overs against England.
Zadran not only became the first Afghan player to score a century in the ICC Champions Trophy but also the first to achieve this milestone in any ICC event, marking a significant achievement for Afghan cricket on the world stage.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, Afghanistan encountered early challenges, but a determined middle-order resurgence led by Zadran allowed them to establish a strong total.
England made an early breakthrough, with Jofra Archer dismissing Rahmanullah Gurbaz for 6 runs at 11/1. The situation worsened as Sediqullah Atal and Rahmat Shah fell for just 4 runs each, leaving Afghanistan struggling at 37/3.
Nevertheless, Zadran found a reliable partner in captain Hashmatullah Shahidi, who scored 40 runs off 67 balls in a vital 103-run partnership. Following Shahidi's dismissal by Adil Rashid, Afghanistan crossed the 200-run threshold in 37.2 overs.
Zadran maintained his aggressive approach, forming a 72-run partnership with Azmatullah Omarzai, who contributed 41 runs off 31 balls, including 3 sixes and 1 four, before Jamie Overton ended the partnership. The real acceleration in the innings occurred when Mohammad Nabi joined Zadran at the crease.
The seasoned all-rounder and the in-form opener combined to form a 111-run partnership, pushing Afghanistan past the 300-run mark. Zadran eclipsed his previous highest score of 162 against Sri Lanka in 2022, making history with an outstanding 177, which included 12 fours and 6 sixes. His remarkable innings concluded on the very first ball of the final over, as he was dismissed by Liam Livingstone.
In spite of the aggressive batting display, Jofra Archer distinguished himself with impressive figures of 3/64, while Livingstone also shone with 2/28 in 5 overs. Both Overton and Rashid contributed by taking one wicket each.
